Cleaning device



July 21, 1931.

G. L. CHERRY CLEANING DEVICE.

Filed Dec. 19, 1928 W e/War 660/ 2 1. awe/*7 I .l W

Patented July 21, 1931 G EOBGE LAFAYETTE CHERRY, 01' LA o I on. me comm, mooaronarnn, o isw v YORK more, Assronon 'ro wnsrnnn ntnc- Yonx, 1w. Y, A conrom'rron on new cl-ammo lemon Application also s me 19, m8. Serial 80.887137;

This invention relates generally to cleaning and tensioning devices, and more particularly to wire cleaning and tensioning devlces for use in wire insulating apparatus. It is desirable in a number of industrial arts to clean wiresor other articles before perform ing some operation thereon, and it is especially importantin the manufacture of insulated wire to thoroughly clean the wire before applying an insulatin coating thereto. It is particularly desirab e in continuous wire insulating apparatus, such asthat disclosed in the United States Patent No. 1,689,205, granted October 16, 1928 to L. F. Lamplough to not only clean the wire before it is advanced into the apparatus, but also to \exerta tension thereon in order that the wire may be advanced at a uniform rate.

The object of the invention is to rovide simple, inexpensive and effective devices for cleaning articles and exerting tension thereon.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, one specific embodiment thereof embraces a supplyreel fromf which'a wire or cable is advanced through a cleaning and te'nsioning device comprisinga pair of relatively movable arms, each of which carries a plurality of interchangeable, adjustablewiping memberaand which may be pressed together by an adfustahle pressing means to cause the wipersto forcibly engage a wire positioned therebetw'een. From the cleanin and tensitmi'ng devices the wire is passe through a mechanism provided with an extrusion head which-forms a coatingof an unvulcanized insulating material upon the wire as it is advancedtherethrough, after which the coated wire ispassed directly without access to the atmosphere into a vulcanizing chamber in which the insulating material is subjected to sufioient heat and pressureto ulcanize it; .The wire emerges from the vulcanizing chamber through' aseal which tends to; maintain the pressure within the chamber, and is wound upon a storage whereit may remain until used. p

T he'invention will be clearly understood from the. following detail description of a v specific embodiment thereof and the accompanymg drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wire insulatin machine embodying the invention;

ig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a wire cleaning and tensioning device forming a g art of the apparatus, and I 1g. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. 7

Referring now to the drawings, wherein vlike numerals are employed to designate like parts thro hout the several views, the numeral 10 in 'cates a supply reel from which a wire 11 to be insulated is drawn through the wirestraightening device 12 of any desired form by means of capstan 13, around which the wire passes and which isdriven through a pulley 14. by means of a belt 15 connecte to any suitable'source of power (not shown) From the capstan 13 the wire passes through a wire cleaning and tensioning device designated enera lly by the numeral 18 which is secured y means of an arm 19 to an extrusion mechanism 20 through which the wire is advanced after having been advanced through the. cleaning and tensioning device and which is designed to extrude a uniform coating of unvulcanized insulating material on the wire as it emerges therefrom. The

extrusion mechanism may be of any well known type and is illustrated only diagrammaftically since a complete description of its construction is not essential for a complete understanding of the invention. Preferred tlykpesof extruding apparatus are disclosed in e copending application Serial )T 0. 112,599, filed-May 29, 1926 b R. C. Kivley, issued as Patent 1,7 70,985, Jufy 22, 1930, and in my condin application'Serial No. 327,028, filed wecem r 19, 1928 issued as Patent 1,7 70,969,

July 22, 1930. y

A connecting member 21 such};- as that described thmcopending application Serialv No. 22358951531 October 3, 1927 by C.

Kivley efiects a pressure-tight connection tween the extrusion mechanism 20and a vulcanizin chamber 22, wherein the coated wire is su jected to a vulcanizing medium such as steam under pressure, which completely vulcanizes the insulating i mateg'al upon the wire, and from which the insulated wire emerges through a seal 24 suchas that -disclosed in the aforementioned patent sulating coating, is drawn around a sheave finished wire is wound and stored.

25 by means of a capstan 26 and is then delivered to a take-up reel 27 upon which the The cleaning and tensioning device 18,

' which is designed to clean the wire before it is advanced into the extrusion mechanism 20 and to exert a substantially uniform tension upon the wire so that the wire may be ad vanced through the apparatus at an approximately uniform rate, comprises a lower channel-shaped arm 30 rigidly secured to the supporting arm 19 and an upper companion channel-sha d arm 32 pivotally secured to the arm 30 i y means of a hinge 33, which permits relative movemen etween the arms 30 and 32 in substantiall he same plane. The arms 30 and 32- are provided with spacing members 35-35 and 36-36 respectively, which are secured to the arms by means of pins 37 and 38 which extend through the spacing members and the sides of the arms. The arms 30 and 32 are rovided with U- shaped notches 40-40'an 41-41 and the spacing members 35-35 and 36-36 are provided with similar aligned notches 42 -42 and 43-43. into which bolts 45 and 46 may be inserted.- Positioned upon each of the bolts 45 and 46 are a plurality of interchangeable, adjustable, circular wiping discs 48-48 and 49-49 made of felt, leather, fabric, or any other suitable yieldable 1 material, so spaced that they may be inserted between'the spacing members 35-35 and 36-36.

Pivotally mounted upon the upper arm 32 is an auxiliary arm 51 to which is pivotally secured a tch member 52 which is normally urged downwardly as seen in Fig. 2 bymeans of a spring 53 pressing against a latch,

.ally extending handle portion 54 so that when the arms 30 and 32 are in proximity the lower end of the'latch 52 will catch beneath the bottom of the arm 30 and releasably maintain the arms 30 and 32 in proximity,

A hollow cylindrical member 56 is secured within an opening 57 in the auxiliary arm 51' within which member is positioned a plunger 58 urged downwardly by a spring 59, the, tension of which may be adjustedby means of a plug 60- threaded into the up r end of: the tubular member 56 in order thdt the plunger 58 may exert a predetermined pressure upon the upper arm 32 when the arms. 3Q. and'32 are latched in proximity as is clearlyl shown in Fig. 2. v

The operation of the apparatus is as fol lows: The end ofthe uncovered 11' is opposite sides thereo .deviceem scribed as incorporated in a wire insulatin apparatus, it is of course who understood threaded through the wire straightening device 12 around the capstan 14 through the wire cleaning and tensionin device 18, the extrusion mechanism 20, t e vulcanizing chamber 22 and the seal 24, around the sheave '25 and capstan 26 and on to the take-up mechanism 27. Power is then applied to the various driven members, a quantity of unvulcanized insulating material such as-a -suitable rubber compound is inserted into the portion 54 of the latch 52 and the outer portion of-the auxiliary arm 51 are grasped so as to retract the lower end of the latch 52 from beneath the arm 30, and the upper arm 32 andhuxiliary arm 51 are rotated in a 1 counter-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 2 topermit the insertion 9f the wire between the wiping discs48-48 and 49-49. When the wire has been positioned between the wiping discs the arm 32 is lowered and securedin proximity to the arm 30 bythe latch 52 in which position the wiping discs 48-48 and 49-49 engage the wire 11 from and, since they' are made of a yieldable material, they partially encircle the wire and press against substantially the entire surface of the wire dur' its passage therebetween. The force exerte by the discs 48-48 and 49-49 a ainst the wire and the resulting tension a p ed to the wire by the discs may be varie to any desired value by regulatin the tension-on the spring 59 by means of t e plug .60. When any articular portion of the wi ing discshas- 7 come worn, additional wip' surfacesmaybe presented by releasing the bolts 1 45 and 46 and-rotating the discs so as to presentother portions of their peripheriesandrthe wiping discs may therefore uti lized for a long period ,of time before replacements are necessary. When any or all of the wiping discs'become too worn for further use, they may be readily replaced with other discs by simply' removmg the bolts 45 and 46, withdrawing the worn discs and placing new discs thereon.

Although a wire cleaning and tensioning odying the invention has been dethat devices embodying the invention are not limited in their use to wire insiflating apparatus, but may be utilized wherever it is desirable to clean and/or apply tension upon wires, ribbons, or other articles. Also the specific embodiment of the invention described hereinbefore is merely one of many useful examples of the invention, and the invention embraces any embodiment thereof within the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cleaning device, a pair of relative- 1y movable arms, removable, wiping members positioned on the arms and adjustable with respect thereto, and adjustable means for causing the wiping members to yieldably engage an article positioned therebetween.

2. In a cleaning device, a pair of relatively movable arms, a plurality of circular wiping members positioned in cooperative relation on the arms, the wiping members on one arm bein staggered with respect to the wiping mem ers on the other arm, and releasable means for retaining the arms in proximity so that the wiping members are maintained in overlapping relationship, whereby they engage and completely surround an article positioned therebetween.

3. In a cleaning device, a pair of arms, a plurality of wiping discs positionedv on each of the arms, releasable means for retaining the arms in proximity, and adjustable means for pressing the arms together to cause the wiping discs to engage an article positioned therebetween.

4. In a wire cleaning device, a series of spaced interchangeable, adjustable, wiping discs, a second series of said discs positioned adjacent the first mentioned series of discs,

and adjustable means for pressing said discs toward a coon line to cause the discs to fong'blyengage from opposite sides a wire posiiioned therebetween,

5. In a wire cleaning device, a pair of arms, means for .pivo'tally joining the arms to permit relative movement thereof, a Inrality of spaced wiping members on eac of the arms, means for adjusting the wiping members to resent difierent wiping surfaces, and ad ustable means for pressing the arms together to cause the wipin members to engage a wire positioned there tween.

6. In a wire cleaning device, a pair of arms, means for pivotally joinin the arms, a plurality of spaced interchangea le, wiping discs on each of the arms, means for adjusting the discs to present difi'erent wiping surfaces, and combined latching and pressing means for releasably securing the arms in proximity and for causing the wiping discs to-forcibly engage a wire positioned therebetween.

7 In a cleaning device, a pair of relatively movable arms, a plurality of interchangeable, adjustable wiping members positioned upon each of the arms, and combined latching and pressing means for releasably securing the arms in roximity and for causing the wiping mem ers to engage an article positioned therebetween.

8. In a cleaning device, a pair of relative- 1y movable arms, a plurality of interchangeable, adjustable, wiping discs removably secured upon each of the arms, a plurality of spacing members secured to each of the arms for spacing the wiping discs, and combined latching and pressing means for releasably securing the arms in proximity and for causing the wiping members to engage an article positioned therebetween.

9. In a) wire cleaning device, an arm, a plurality of interchangeable, adjustable wiping discs removably secured upon the arm, a plurality of spacing members secured to the arm for spacing the wi ing discs, an arm the wiping discs to forcibly engage a wire positioned therebetween.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of December, A. D. 1928.

GEORGE LAFAYETTE CHERRY.

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